Improvement in holders for silk



specification.

luited (gitane @tutti (twine.

i "BEN AMINA. ARMSTRONG, 0E JERSEY GITE/NEW JERSEY, vAsisIeNon fro! HIMSELE,

JAMES?. BRAINEED, or NEW HAVEN, coNNEoTicur, ANDLEONAED o. SMITH,

OF YHmADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

Letters Patent No. 109,995, dated December 13, 1870.-

IMPROVEMEN'I IN HOLDERS FOR SILK, &c.

Y To all @hom at muy concern.- i Be it known that I, BENJAMIN A. ARMSTRONG, of J erseyGityJn the county of Hudson, in the State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Holder for Silk or analogous mii-- terial for'sewing; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof.

I dispense with the usual spools, and in lieu thereof employ small tubes of paper,'peculiarly adapted by an additional piece firmly secured to one side to receive and` store a small Aquantity of sewing-silk, sewing-cotton, or other thread.

My invention is particularly well adapted to the putting up and selling very small quantities of silk, but it may be used for carrying larger quantities. It provides ample means for holding the loose end4 of the silk, both at, the commencement or while the goods arekept in store or on sale, and at any subsequent periods during the intervals .which occur in family sewing in the consumption of any given quantity of sewing material.

I will proceed to describe what I consider' the best means of carrying out my invention.

The accompanying drawing forms a part of this Figure 1 is a side view of the quill complete, ready to receive the silk; Figure 2 is an end view of the same;

Figure 3 is a side view of the quill filled with silk ready tov be sold or packed and shipped for use; and.

Figure 4 is an end view oi the same.-

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures. f

A is a small tube 'or quill ofbpaper formed by wind-4 ing around previously-preparedv sheets and.y gluing together the edges properly scarfed, or in any other convenient manner. It should be sufficiently'1 sized or otherwise made stili" and strong toenable it to bear ordinary handling.

The sizes I prefer are about two inc hes long and one-quarter inch in diameter, butthis is not material.

vB is a flat wire, of brass, laid parallel to and touching the outer surface of the quill, and

C .is a piece of stiong paper wound spirally around,

. and glued or otherwise strongly cemented to the quill.

This paper C may be, and preferably .is, printed with the name'and address ot' the manufacturer.

I consider it an advantage of considerable practical `importance that the address of the manufacturer or dealer shall be distinctly' presented or made conspicnous toward the close oi' the consumption of the goods, rather than alone at the commencement.4

Ihe wire B should preferably be glued, or otherwise `firmly attached directly to the quill by the applica'- The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part -of' the same.

'tion-of a cementing material along the center of its length. `This means, in itself very efcient, is further fortified by the application of the strong paper or label C, which winds around or over the wire and quill, and iirmly binds them together.

The winding of the silk is commenced by laying the 'end under oneof the ends of the wire, and, at the termination of the winding, the free end is drawn under the same or theopposite end of the wire. lAny convenient or suitable mechanism may be vemployed for the winding. rIhe material may be laid with all the regularity observed in spooling,'it1.a suitable mechanism be employed. lVheu, at any period in the 'course of the consumption of the silk, it is desired to put the quill back into the bag, work-basket, or the like, with a portion of the thread or other material unconsumed, it is simply necessary to draw the cud of the silk under one of the ends of the wire, and it will safely remain for any period without uuwinding.

I have described the quill as paperand the piece B as brass wire. I esteem these the best, but other `suita-.

ble materials may be substituted for either or both. It is only essential that they be reasonably strong and durable, 4and that the ends of the piece B which project beyond the coils ot thread shall be suitable to confine the end of the thread and to allow it to be readily removed and again inserted and confined at pleasure.

My quills thus prepared are to contain a measured quantity -of thread, determined by any ordinary or suitable means, the same as in spooling. The n'llcd quills may be packed in boxes for sale, and may be stuck on a wire or other slender piu to allow the inaterial to be drawn off as from spools.

Although I have described the wire B or its equivalent as held to the quill by glue or analogous ceinenting means, I believe it practicable to hold it by raising a portion of the quill and allowing the wire to be thrust through such raised surface.- in such case the bunch thus produced in thev quill should be near.

the center of its length, and the holding will be equivaient, or nearly so, in effect to the fastening with glue. There may be many variations in the mode of attaching, and a very weak attachment may be found to be suiicient for some uses. Ibelieve it practicable, with proper care in the winding, tolay the silk or other thread on so as to hold the wire B 'firmly in position of itselt' by the tension of successive coils ot' sills` alone. In

.such case no glue would be absolutely required, and

the label also might be dispensed with. 'lhis would reduce the labor ci' makingthe quills, and would produce the saine etica in substance after 'the quill was wound with the silk audput on the market. rIhe loose ends would be held in the same manner, and the quill would serve about the same uses, except that it would be liable to involve some `dilieullzes when lche silk was nearly consumed zmdthe Wire B became pa.rtially loose. I much prefer to hold the wire B both by glue at a point near the middle, and by a tightlyin presence of two subscribing witnesses.

wound and glued label O, as shown. Witnesses: y vBENJ. A. ARMSTRONG.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Let- THOMAS D. STETSON, ters Patent- 0.0. LIvmGs.

The quill A and wire B or its equivalent, arranged substantially as aml for the purposes herein set forth. In testimony whereof', I have hereunto set my name 

